Method of manufacturing laminated sheet metal for shim stock



Aug. 2, 1960 J. B. LAZARUS METHOD OF MANUFACTURING LAMINATED SHEET METALFOR SHIM STOCK Filed July 28, 1955 Fig. l

INVENTOR.

JEROME B. LAZARUS BY HM M M M ATTORN EY S United States Patent METHOD OFMANUFACTURING LAMINATED SHEET METAL FOR SHIM STOCK Jerome B. Lazarus,New York, N.Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to The -Staver CompanyInc., Bay Shore, NY.

Filed July as, 195-5, Ser. No. 525,031 2 Claims. 01. 29-430 The presentinvention relates to at method of manufacturing laminatedflsheets, andmore particularly laminated metal shim stock; and it relates further toan installation for manufacturing laminated shim stock.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide anovel andimproved method of manufacturing shim stock in continuous lengths.

severely limited length of shim stock only. The manufacture of shimstock in continuous length obviously simplifies the manufacturingoperations and reduces the costs of manufacture.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel .and improvedmethod of manufacturing shim stock of practically any desired widthwhereas with methods as heretofore known, the width of the stock islimited to the width of metal sheets such as brass sheets that aredue tothe uniformity of the bonding agent used, can be easily and cleanlypeeled.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved installation for manufacturing shim stock in accordance withthe method according to the invention.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention willbe pointed out hereinafter and set forth in the appended claims formingpart of the application. i

In the accompanying drawing, several embodiments of an installationaccording to the invention suitable for carrying out the method of theinvention are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawing: 1

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the installation.

Fig. 2 is an elevational side view of the installation according to Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary isometric view of a modified part of theinstallation according to Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of shim stock in an intermediate stageproduced in the installation according to Figs. 1 and 2, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of shim stock in the same intermediate stageproduced in the installation according to Fig. 3.

The shim stock according to the invention is made from continuous stripsof shim stock metal and metal solder. The invention is particularlysuitable for manufacturing brass shims, but other shim material may alsobe used such as steel strips, especially steel strips flash coated withcopper or brass. The metal of the solder strips may be any of the manyconventional compositions Methods as heretofore known for the purposepermit the manufacture of a Patented Aug. 2, 196$ 2 known and suitablefor the purpose such as tin-lead composition.

The method of the invention involves alternately feeding continuousstrips of shim stock and solder to form a continuing stack ofsuperimposed strips, compressing successive lengths of the stack toapproximately the desired final thickness, heating successive lengths ofthe compressed stack sufficiently to melt the interleaved solder stripsfor fusing together the stock strips, submitting successive fusedlengths to a pressure compressing the stack to its desired finalthickness removing from successive compressed lengths of the stacksqueezed-out excess solder and foreign matter adhering to said lengthsthereby finishing the shim, and cutting the finished stock to units ofdesired length.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 4 in detail, the installation accordingto these figures comprises a supply station 1, a preliminary pressingstation 2, a fusing station 3, a final pressing station 4, a finishingstation 5 and a cutting station 6.

All the stations are mounted on a suitable base, appropriately spaced.The base is shown by way of example as a table 7.

Supply station 1 comprises a plurality of suitably mounted feed reels,depending upon the number of layers the shim stock is designed to have.The strips on all the reels are of equal width. Reels carrying brassstrips are designated by B and reels carrying solder strips by S. Brassreels and solder reels are arranged in alternating sequence. The supplystation further comprises guide means such as rolls 8 for feeding thestrips to the preliminary pressing station 2 in superimposed alternatingrelationship.

The pressing station comprises pressure means which gradually reducesthe thickness of the continuing stack formed by the strips from itsinitial thickness to a thickness slightly more than the desired finalthickness of the strip. These pressing means are shown as comprisingseveral pairs of rollers 9, the spacing of which is generally reducedtoward the outlet end of the station.

From station 2 the continuing compressed stack is fed to station 3. Theheating means in this station may be of any suitable design. There areshown a lower stationary heating platen 10 andan upper movable heatingplaten 11 which latter platen is perpendicularly guided by rods 12.Platens 10 and 11 are heated by suitable heating elements such aselectric heating coils embedded in the material of the plates. Thetemperature to which the platens are heated is selected in accordancewith the fusing temperature of the employed solder material.

Due to the heating experience by the stack between platens 10 and 11 thebrass strips of the stack are fused together.

From station 3 the fused stack is passed to station 4. The pressingmeans of this station are shown as a lower stationary base 13 and anupper perpendicularly movable pressure plate 14. Plate 14 is guided byrods 15. The required pressure may be produced by any suitable meanssuch as electromechanically or hydraulically operated devices well knownfor the purpose and indicated at 16. The pressure produced in station 4is selected so that the stack is compressed to the desired finalthickness.

From station 4 the fused and finally compressed stack is fed to thefinishing station 5. This station serves to remove the excess soldersqueezed out in station 4 and to polish the stack on both sides. Thereare shown as suitable for the purpose a lower rotating polishing disc 17and an upper polishing belt 17. As is evident, various kinds ofpolishingmeans may be employed to :clean both sides of -the-st-ackandalso the edges thereof.

When leaving station 5 the shim stockis finished. The finished stock isfed from station 5 to the final station 6 in which it is cut to units ofdesired length.

llhere is shown a;, cutter .18 which is reeiprocated: by; a

suitable and conventional electromagnetic device 1.19.

-switch. V'Ihis switch is; closed by, .engagement'with-athe end, of theshim stock progressing ,IOWaI'dldQYlCe; 20. Closing of Y the switchenergizes; device. 19, WhiCl'liiIldllIfIl .11 n te. ati e mereinbeforedescribed; operates .tstepwi .;1aPP L 1 5..Ih6ffunetionrofisstationa4111s ,gshown requires, that1;the superimposedistrips arenat-a'est ewhe tqomp e sed nit e tation.iltisnalso'fidyantageous ;,thst.- e s c ofrstr ps satrestzwheninnstation; 3. :Ac- .s 1 din y,.-.thertr veLpf th uperimposed.strips-rthrough the installation is intermittently; ;a.r,re.s.ted;.,so;thatxsucces- .,sive lengths of the stack, are sequentially treated in,the

respective stations. T0 ,facilitate; the operation of ;.:sta-

..-. if0 n .4, th uppe tparts; 11 .and 14: respectively there o f. aremechanically coupledas. .is indicated at;22. However, as is apparentandrwithint-gthe;.scope;of.;the

inventignthe,installation can, also;be ;designedifor; con-.tinuousltravel ofath superimposed s rips:.by,em 1pying as pressuremeans in station 4 coacting: pairszof-rolls otthe kind shown in;station].

-Eig. ,4 shows the condition; ofthe; ,stack after. leaving ,station ;2and before entering Station .3. There are shown brassstrips, 23 andsolder strips 24 in;alternating .s per .mpo ed relationshiptall, stripbe ns equal Widthas; previously explained; the Width. of;. shim.,stockgis I controuedby-thewidth of; brassstripnas: available in the.Jnarket. It is often .des i rable1 to :.produce shim :xstock q in excess pf the-width of available ,bI'ZlSSsStIiPS. The

modification according to Fig. 3 permits theimanufacr titre of shimstock ;of ;any Width desirable in; practice.

fljests have shown that shim v.stock...having .severahjtimes the \widthof ,the widest avail,able brass gstrip :can .be readilyproducedwith,;the;.arrangement:1of,Fig. .3.

flhe installation of Fig. 3gpermits; to ,produce wide shim stock;by;.placing,severalbrass strips inrjuxtaposition in, each respectiyelayer of themshim, stock. .The .width of; thesolder layers correspondsin.- each respective: layer a to the combined width .;,of the brassstrips. iSolder ma- ,ter ial is availablejnany, desiredwidth.

,Wlgile, several ;b r ass strips. ofzequal width :mayabexem- '.P. Y@. n;,@h re pective layer, it:has been found pref- :erable to use brassstrips .-,of: diiferent :width and :-.to 1 135 .lh a jw fi i ni f thestrips .from. layer to, layer. :lufig. -3 the narrow and wide brassstripsiareiridieated .bv r ter uc charact r .-B1 rand i132 res ectivelThis fiord ,t a v n ag that .the .seam ..lines .iOf .adjacent brasslayers are staggered thereby obtaininggannore re -.s st n p oduct.

F ig. 5 shows wide strips ;2 5. aud narr0w;strips .26 in each brasslayer interleaved with solder strips 27 .having &4 the full width of thejuxtaposed brass strips. Fig. 5 also shows that-the seam lines-in-eachlayertace-solid brass material, in each adjacent layer after thesuperimposed strips are subjected to the fusing operation in 5 station3.

The sequential arrangement of the brass and solder reels in the stationofi fiigfs 3is the same as has been describedin connection with Figs. 1and 2.

While ithezinventioriihas. heenldesrib'edin. detail "with 10 respect tocertain now preferred examples'and embodiamentsmfitthercinvention,.sltWillwb understood by==those 'tgskilled' in thearta'fierznnderstaudingttheinvention, :that

various changes and modifications may be m'adewithout departingfrom-thespiritsand-scope ofihe invention, and

it is intended, therefore, to cover all such changes and modificationsinithe appefidedrlaims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

J. l Azmethodrofitmanufacturingi aeontinuous length of-,elarninated.-nnetal :zShim .i-stock, scompr-ising the steps 1. of:providing several-equally lthickstrips of: ishim stock metal injuxtaposition ;..arid 1 =sev.eral nco'ntinuous "strips :of: the'atzdusiblensolder material superimposing saidisshirn strips handsaidusoldersstrips composed-:ofumultiple alternating z:lay.ers;:ofseveralrjnadaposed:rshimrstripsrand one solder strip respectively, thewidthoofrzthe solden strip in each respective layer. of :rthe=stackubeing: substantially 1 equal :tontheccorhbitld swidthtofathe;juxtaposed shim strips-in eachdayer, :themheating successive-:lengthswof: the stack while at rest sufficiently to melt.thevinterleavd solder strips.: forirfusing.:togethereathe superimposedshim- -strips, ifthenv submitting successive-dusted lerrgths bf the:stack by tmeans of, plane ypressure plateshto a -uni-form i-pressurezuponlrthe :entire; top2and .bOttom surface zareailthereof, 5 andcompressing: :the i respective fused =rlengths rinto the desired finalthickness, removing!:from rsuccessive com- :pressedmnd fuseddengths of.the stacksqueezed out solder :2 and foreign. matter: adhering/tori saidrlength thereby: rfinishing .the. shim stocks-and cutting-rthenfinished:stock-to ..unitsofiidesiredelength. I

2. The methodraccording.to.elaim;. lwherein the juxta-1-posed;shimwst0ck stnipsi forming .the respective layers of the. stack.rare ofudifierent width. and i the E seam 1 lines: of :shim: stockstrips inaadjacent respectivev layers are=-disposed in staggeredrelationship.

References Gited in' the 'file of this 'patent "UNITED STATES PATENTS,-995,-ss9 .Eichmann.-- June 20, .1911 1,096,512 :Lindhe J-May 12, 191411,687,605 .-.Bundy :.Oct. 16, 1928 1,764,271 Leonard June 17,4930

;1-,940,-850 tDerby Dec. 26, 11933 2,175,616 r-Reed Dct;-l0,:l93912,181,502 .Biggert Nov. 28,1939 2,566,249 '1Raineyret 1a]. Aug.. 2-8,1951 2,627,010 Matteson :Jan. 27,.

